The Republic of Displaced Calvinists
The Republic of Displaced Calvinists (La République des Calvinistes Déplacés) was founded by a group of persecuted Calvinistic French Protestants belonging to the Reformed Church who were forced to flee their homeland. Starting as a tiny band of Huguenots, they sailed for West Africa and built a small colony in order to practice their faith in peace. They were later joined by several families of Scottish Presbyterian and Dutch Reformed backgrounds who wished to lend their support to the fledgling colony. The Belgic Confession Rocks! Nation Information Displaced Calvinists is growing new nation with citizens primarily of French ethnicity whose religion is Protestant Christianity. Foreign and Domestic Policies The Republic of Displaced Calvinists has emerged from being a tiny plantation colony into a fledgling nation with a developing economy and technology. Displaced Calvinists is a very passive country when it comes to foreign affairs and has no interests in war. It is currently researching nuclear technology for the use of nuclear power plants but believes nuclear weapons should be banned. The Republic's paramilitary police force, La Gendarmerie Nationale, has been positioned at all border crossings and is arresting all drug traffickers. Displaced Calvinists allows its citizens to protest their government but uses a strong police force to monitor things and arrest lawbreakers. It has an open border policy, but in order for immigrants to remain in the country they will have to become citizens first. Displaced Calvinists believes in the freedom of speech and feels that it is every citizens right to speak freely about their government. The government gives whatever is necessary to help others out in times of crisis, even it means hurting its own economy. Displaced Calvinists will not make deals with another country that has a poor history of inhuman treatment of its citizens. Geography and Climate Flat. Flat as all get-out. Hot and humid with lots of electrical storms, too. Guess we moved too close to the equator for our European Colonialist tastes. Dang, those mosquitoes are big.... Located in the Volta Region between Ghana and Togo in West Africa, Displaced Calvinists' has a tropical climate. The first rainy season is between April and June, followed by a relatively mild period between June and September. A second rainy season hits in September and October, with temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees, Fahrenheit. November through March is hot and dry, with temperatures reaching as high as 100 degrees. Told you we moved too close to the Equator.... Cities New Batavia Colony is the nation's largest city and the capital of the Republic. New Batavia Colony serves as the center for radio and print media, governmental administration, and research into peaceful uses for uranium. Other notable settlements include *Coligny *Huguesville *Cauvin *St. Giles *Mont Jan Hus. Coligny serves as the center for Displaced Calvinists' water bottling industry, while Huguesville is noted as an important hub serving the nation's cattle ranching industry. Cauvin is the headquarters for the world-famous Ferrel's Geneva Fried Chicken fast-food franchise, while St. Giles Village is home to the Knox Junior Hamburger restaurant chain. Mont Jan Hus (Mount John Huss) is the site of the nation's new international short-wave radio station, still under construction. Government Originally founded as a Republic, Displaced Calvinists temporarily changed their form of government to more closely resemble the wishes of the people, and adopted a pro-business Capitalist administration. A recent plebicite vote returned Displaced Calvinists to a Republic form of government. The Head of State is the colonial Governor-General, currently Sheldomar Bolak, who is serving a five year term. The Legislature is called the Classis, and consists of six elected secular businessmen and three Protestant clergymen. Each member of the Classis serves a one year term. The Governor-General serves also as the mayor of the captial city, and the Classis serves as the capital's city council. Plans are underway to separate the governmental bodies of New Batavia Colony and the Republic as the nation grows. The nation's Judicial system is based on Reformed Church canon law. A panel of Protestant ministers and church elders form a board called the Consistitory, which serves as the nation's court of law, and judges all cases. Military Public Safety Minister Yves Purdue is head of Displaced Calvinist's paramilitary police force, La Gendarmerie Nationale. State security, national defense, civic police work, disaster response, and search-and-rescue duties all fall under the umbrella of the Gendarmerie Nationale. Armament is mostly surplus equipment purchased from other nations. The Infantry-Militia is equiped with a variety of small-arms purchased on eBay. Heavy armament is limited to four 50-caliber machine gun crews, two mortar crews, and one converted bass boat mounted with a WWII surplus recoiless rifle that serves on river patrol duty. Displaced Calvinists also has available six jeeps, four military trucks, three motor cycles, and a command/communications car. Displaced Calvinists currently has no Naval or Air Forces. Economy Displaced Calvinists' pro-business administration has provided a healthy atmosphere for thriving industrial ventures. International trade has vaulted this tiny plantation colony into a moderately successful and prosperous little nation. Currency Since its days as a plantation colony, the Republic has adopted the Central African Franc (CFA) as its unit of currency. Natural Resources The primary natural resources that form the base of the nation's ecomomy are cattle and water. Cattle ranching is the largest industry in Displaced Calvinists, as evidenced by the large number of ranches dotting the mostly flat countryside. Bottling water from the famous Volta River in West Africa serves as a second major source of exportable income for the country. Trade Displaced Calvinists' oldest trading partner is Crazyland, a Jewish nation that provides access to silver and pigs. The Bismarck Nation, another Jewish nation, serves as the source for the country's aluminum and rubber supplies. The Democracy of Yasnaya Polyana is the major source of furs and spices, and the Sihk dictatorship of Chafer supplies Displaced Calvinists with sugar and uranium. Domestic Industries Besides cattle ranching and water bottling, Displaced Calvinists has a thriving Fast Food industry, with Ferrel's Geneva Fried Chicken chain giving a healthy competition to the popular Knox Junior Hamburger restaurants, famous for their Trumpet-Blaster Burgers and Iconoclastic Milkshakes. Displaced Calvinists' current research into the peaceful uses of atomic energy, while far from complete, still adds a significant boost to the ecomomy. The nation's Bible printing house produces Bibles, psalter-hymnals, and Protestant Christian literature in several languages for distribution world-wide. This particular venture is subsidized by the government directly, as it is not a profitable enterprise, but does provide employment for several dozen citizens. Failed Ventures Other attempted businesses, such as starting coffee plantations and salt mines, have proved to be less financially rewarding, causing these failed industries to shut down as resources are diverted toward more profitable ventures. Religion Protestantism Having been founded as a colony of refuge for persecuted Huguenots (French Calvinistic Protestant Christians), Displaced Calvinists' major and official religion is the Reformed Church. The Belgic Confession and the Heidelburg Catechism are actually placed in an appendix on the end of the nation's constitution. Freedom for Protestants is guaranteed under law. Other major Protestant traditions, such as Lutheranism and Baptists, are given equal standing along side the majority state-sanctioned Reformed and Presbyterian churches. The nation is 97% Protestant Christian, broken down into the following groups: French Reformed Church (76%) Scottish Presbyterian (12%) Dutch Reformed Church (4%) French Lutheran (3%) French Baptist (2%). Roman Catholicism, as well as groups officially labeled by the government as "cults" (such as Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Third Wave Charismatics) are banned, and the penalty for attempting to spread these faiths within the boundaries of Displaced Calvinists is immediate deportation. Simply holding to any of these officially "abberant" faiths is not considered a crime unto itself in the civil courts, but may lead to excommunication from the Reformed Church. Officially, there is a broad tollerance provided for non-Christian religions, particularly Judaism. Judaisim The largest non-Christian religion is Judaism at approximately 2% of the population. There is a unique relationship between the Christians and Jews of Displaced Calvinists. By law, the Jews are required to observe the Jewish sabbath (sunset Friday to sunset Saturday), while Christians are required to observe Sunday as an official Day of Rest. While the majority Christian population is observing their Day of Rest, the Jewish working population keeps the infrastructure of the nation running, holding important positions in the military, public safety, police, and health-care industries. Most of the Jewish population of Displaced Calvinists migrated as part of the hired military-police protection for the colony at the invitation of the Public Safety Minister, Yves Perdue. A recent influx of additional French Protestant immigrants into the nation has reduced the percentage of Jews from 3% to 2% of the population, even though their actual numbers have remained steady. Other Religions Other religions, mostly followers of Islam and Indigenous Animists following a religion closely related to Voodoo, comprise nearly 1% of the population total. Estimates are 0.55% Animism-Voodoo and 0.4% Muslim. These are made up of the local native population who have attached themselves to some of the outlying ranches and plantations as ranch hands. While efforts have been made to convert them to Protestant Christianity, there is no penalty or discrimination for those who do not wish to become Christians. People 80% French. 13% British Isles and North America 4% Netherlands 2% Indigenous Native (Ewe peoples) 1% Other Culture and Media Much of the culture of Displaced Calvinists has been imported from the native lands of its inhabitants, and is currently dominated by a French Protestant world-view. Freedom of religion for Protestants, the Bible and psalm-singing currently play prominent roles in the national psyche. Media consists of the weekly national newspaper, The New Batavian Herald, and the country's state-owned AM radio station (Radio RCD-1). A Bible publishing house produces written materials for both domestic use and for distribution overseas. An international short-wave radio station is currently being built as a cooperative effort between the government and the Republic's French Reformed congregations. A privately owned commercial FM radio station is being planned under the financing of businessman Roland LeBlanc. History The Region Prior to 2005 Called the Gold Coast by early European explorers, the region was originally settled by the native Ewe peoples. The area currently occupied by Displaced Calvinists was first colonized as part of German Togoland between 1884 and 1914. During World War I (1914 - 1918), combined French and British forces invaded, and split Togoland between them. The portion that includes modern-day's Displaced Calvinists' current territory went to the United Kingdom after the war, and was added to what became the nation of Ghana as the Volta Region in the 1950's. New Batavia Colony At the collapse of world order in 2005, France was given back the administration over several of its former colonies, including French Togoland. Ghana relinquished the Volta region to French control, and France subsequently allowed a band of exiled French Protestants to create New Batavia Colony there as a city of refuge from persecution. When the settlers realized that they had simply been dumped off and abandoned by their home government, they declared independance in October of 2006, creating the Republic of Displaced Calvinists. For further details, please refer to the articles New Batavia Colony and the personal history of Sheldomar Bolak. Please also view the Current Events below. Current Events Straight from the Headlines of the New Batavian Herald ! Tragic Embassy Bombing in Yasnaya Polyana! Ambassador Treudeaux Killed! Embassy building leveled.... 8 Dead.... Jesuit spies blamed.... Warrant issued for Bruchard-Cleuseau's arrest.... Minister Perdue decribes "Jesuit Threat" to our Republic....Papacy denies responsibility.... 12 Novembre: Tragic events greet us this Lord's Day morning, as word comes of the horrific bombing of our embassy building in the nation of Yasnaya Polyana. Displaced Calvinists' good-will ambassadors, Francois and Claudette Treudeaux, were slain by a blast that leveled the embassy building. Surviving witnesses claim a man dressed as a Jesuit priest and matching the description of former Finance Minister Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau was seen dropping off a large vial of holy water wrapped in a rosary at the Ambassadors' residence, ringing the doorbell, and then running while laughing maniacally in Latin. Forensics teams reveal that the holy water was really nitroglycerin, and the rosary contained a timer and blasting caps. In response to this tragic event, Governor-General Bolak and the ambassador from Yasanya Polyana issued a joint statement of condolences to the Treudeaux family following the National Sabbath School Radio Hour. Yves Perdue, Minister of Public Safety, has issued a warrant for Bruchard-Cleuseau's arrest, and has dispatched special agents of La Gendarmerie Nationale to track him down and bring him to justice. Minister Perdue remarked, "We made a big mistake to think that by letting him leave the country, that he'd no longer be a problem to us. We must deal with Bruchard-Cleuseau and the Jesuit threat once and for all!" Meanwhile, representatives from the Vatican denounced the act as the work of a renegade madman, and report that they are also seeking Bruchard-Cleuseau for questioning. However, the Papists took the ill-timed opportunity to accuse our beloved Republic and the Treudeaux family of destabilizing the Roman Catholic world by smuggling pocket Bibles into Catholic countries in an attempt to spread Protestantism, which they labeled, "a reprehensible act of terrorism in and of itself!" The Papal spokesmen railed, "These Protestant heretics have Bibles, Fast-Food, and Uranium. Can you think of a more Devilish combination?" Technology Arrives! Positive signs of growth show Displaced Calvinists on Right Track 8 Novembre: Finally, for the first time since our Colony was abandoned by our homeland and we were left to fend for ourselves, we have Technology! The AM Radio station now has a generator instead of announcer Pierre Maynard running a treadmill between commercial breaks. Soon, kerosene lamps will be a thing of the past! Debate is underway whether to lay ground lines for a future telephone system, or skip straight to cell phones. The future for Displaced Calvinists is bright indeed! New Interim Finance Minister Appointed Bruchard-Cleuseau Replaced! Good Riddance You Filthy Bum! 5 Novembre: Former Finance Minister and accused Jesuit spy Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau has been officially replaced one week after fleeing for Rome after embezzeling the colony's funds and trying to assassinate the Governor-General. Jacque DuBois, a deacon in the French Lutheran congregation, has been appointed by the Governor-General and the Legislative Classis as interim Finance Minister. Minister DuBois prayed for God's assistance in his new duties at his inauguration last Thursday, November 2nd. The Mid-Week Prayer Meeting Riots of Oct. 25th Finance Minister Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau Accused of Spying for Jesuits Due to some rather exceptional blunders by members of Displaced Calvinists' government, particularly on the part of former Finance Minister Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau, a portion of the population rose up in a minor but boisterous rebellion, known as the Mid-Week Prayer Meeting Riots of October 25th. It had been made public by Legislative Classis Member, Reverend Ian MacKenzie to his Scottish Free Presbyterian congregation in their Wednesday night prayer meeting, that Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau had been behind the recent failure of the colony's coffee plantations and salt mines, and accused the Finance Minister of being a Jesuit spy sent to sabotage the colony. The Scottish Presbyterians took to the streets in protest, and soon the entire population of New Batavia Colony was in an uproar, demanding Bruchard-Cleuseau's immediate ouster. Bruchard-Cleuseau urged the government to put down the riots with military force, but Governor-General Sheldomar Bolak and Public Safety Minister Yves Perdue made speeches in the public square and over the national radio station appealing for calm while an offical inquiry took place. Before an inquiry could officially begin, Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau fled the country with a sizable but undisclosed portion of the nation's wealth. Found in his personal possessions left behind were a rosary, five vials of holy water, a Roman Catholic Missal, a small desk flag from Vatican City, and the clerical garb of a Roman Catholic priest in Bruchard-Cleuseau's size. When the evidence was handed over to the Governor-General, the rosary exploded, and would have killed Mr. Bolak had not his deluxe copy of Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion shielded him from the blast. The Great Recession of Oct. 21st Coffee Plantations Fail; Salt Mine Explosion Kills Mining Project Further inquiries have revealed that the Great Recession of Oct. 21st was also directly attributable to former Finance Minister Jean Bruchard-Cleuseau as a direct result of his personally sabotaging the coffee milling equipment purchased for the fledgling plantations. His finger prints were also found on a set of explosives caps that were used to dynamite the new salt mines closed just as the Governor-General was officiating at their Grand Opening. The explosion took place just as the Governor-General cut the ribbon to the mine's entrance. That act of sabotage put an end to the mining project permanently, and nearly killed Governor-General Sheldomar Bolak and injured four members of the ruling Legislative Classis, including Reverend Ian MacKenzie. Category: Nations